Jillian Michaels dishes on her new book, guilty food pleasures

Even Jillian Michaels has a guilty food pleasure. The 39-year-old fitness guru and new mom confessed to FOX 411 that she indulges in Sprinkles cupcakes from time to time…but just the little ones. Still, fans and contestants on “The Biggest Loser” know not to mess with Michaels when it comes to weight loss. The workout queen is known for her no-nonsense attitude and intense exercise regimes. Recently, she spoke with FOX411 about her new book, “Slim For Life,” her work-life balance and her reputation as a tough trainer.

FOX411: Do you think you’re too tough on “The Biggest Loser?”
MICHAELS: I don’t feel like that at all. I feel like I find the right balance. I feel like people don’t understand what it is. You’ve got a group of people that are literally killing themselves with food, who have come to this place which is basically rehab and you can get sent home in six days or six weeks or six months. You have to get through to them very quickly and accept many different things to not only get the weight off but stay healthy.

The reason I’m so aggressive is because there’s not enough time. I don’t have weeks for them to say, ‘Hold on let me get rid of my victim mentality.’ That needs to go as quickly as possible. They need to take responsibility as quickly as possible. It’s a very unique situation that requires a very unique skill set. My track record speaks for itself.

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FOX411: Do you have a guilty food pleasure?
MICHAELS: I usually will have this candy called Unreal. I have had at times a Sprinkles cupcake, usually a little one.

FOX 411: Tell me about the new book.
MICHAELS: It’s an attempt in giving people a simpler, straightforward, cost-effective plan so they get results and they keep it off. It’s clearing up all the misinformation. It’s taking all the accurate information and turning [it] into lifestyle strategies so you know what it looks like in your life. It deals with diet dilemmas like hunger, cravings, plateaus, finances, time constraints.

FOX411: What do you say to people who say they can’t afford a gym?
MICHAELS: I tell them how to use their own body weight to work out. How to work out outside, how to build home gyms for nothing, how to create a DVD library for $50. There’s a section on how you can find $25 to put towards either better food or a better fitness level like stop buying Starbucks coffee, don’t buy the gossip rags, get your info online, only go to the ATM at your bank.

FOX411: I appreciate what you’re saying but don’t you think the system makes it harder for people with the abundance of processed food available?
MICHAELS: The reality is that the system is not set up to work for you but at the end of the day even if the food is not ideal you’ve got to eat less of it and move your body more often.

FOX411: You have two little kids. How do you balance it all?
MICHAELS: Everyday there’s something that goes wrong professionally or personally. There’s a ball that gets dropped. You’re never going to get it all perfect. That saying, ‘You can have it all, just not at the same time,’ it’s true. There is some sacrifice but I look at my kids and they’re worth it. It makes you try to be a better person. It’s extremely confrontational. I feel like I’m the one growing up, not them. It’s a challenge, and I love a challenge so I’m doing the best I can. I’m not going to pretend I’m this great mom and I have it all figured out because I absolutely do not.